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Dear Colleague: New Requirement for Amendments to the Budget Resolution

Dear Colleague:

As you begin to contemplate possible amendments to the House Budget Resolution, I want to bring your attention to a new requirement htat was adopted as part of hte opening day Rules Package. As in past years, the Ruels Committee intends to give priority to amendments offered as complete substitutues, but the new requirement is applicable to all amendments.

Section 3(e) of H. Res. 5 (113th Congress) prohibits the consideration of a concurrent resolution on the budget, or any proposed amendment to or conference report thereon, unless it includes specified information and estimates related to direct spending, including means-tested direct spending and nonmeans-tested direct spending. Specifically, the subsection requires the inclusion of: (1) the average rate of growth for each category in the total amount of outlays during the 10-year period preceding the budget year; (2) estimates for each such category under current law for the period covered by the concurrent resolution; and (3) information on proposed reforms in such categories.

The subsection also requires the chair of the Committee on the Budget to publish a description in the Congressional Record of each category. The description of each category was submitted for printing by Chairman Ryan on March 7, 2012 and is available in the Congressional Record. Title V of H. Con. Res. ___, posted by Chairman Ryan on March 12, 2013, provides an example of how to comply with this requirement.

All Members are reminded to work with the Congressional Budget Office and the Committee on the Budget to ensure that accurate estimates for each category are included in the amendment, as well as any information on proposed reforms. If you have any questions, please contact Stephen Cote of the Committee staff or myself at extension 5-9191.